still can't believe how far we have come

With spring quickly approaching, my thoughts have often returned to last summer.  I remember long days that often ended in tears, constantly battling the behavior of a certain little boy.  No more!!!  With the help of some digestive enzymes which have lessened the affects of Josiah's numerous food sensitivities, I can count on normal 4-year-old behavior almost every day.  Yes, we still have behavior issues--the same ones all 4-year-olds have.  

Four is a marvelous age!!!  There is so much still to be learned, and children this age soak everything up like a sponge.  Josiah is no exception.  We continue to do preschool together 3 days a week.  I've loved using our curriculum to teach him about the world God made, and he loves it, too.  Last week we planted seeds and he had to run and check on them every 5 minutes to see if they were growing yet!!  Josiah was incredibly excited about Sunday School this week where they taught about the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit...something we had learned together the first weeks of preschool. 

One of our favorite activities is above: using Wikki Stiks to form letters.  Fine motor skills seem to come later for my kids so we enjoy any extra practice we can get in this area.  Josiah also loves to sound out 3-letter words.  He seems to think this is a game!! 

Some of the best moments these days are the ones I least expect.  I'll look up, and my little guy is on the floor, playing with toys.  I still shake my head and remember the days when he would rarely play by himself.  Other times, he'll be on the couch looking at a story.  He loves to listen to me read but has rarely sat still by himself with a book.  Then there are the times he spends playing with the older kids. 

We are enjoying and thanking God for these precious days!

finally!!

All of the pages on this blog are up and running.  It's what happens when you are still having trouble with daylight savings time!!

it's coming...

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/12/134456594/study-diet-may-help-adhd-kids-more-than-drugs

Hyperactivity. Fidgeting. Inattention. Impulsivity. If your child has one or more of these qualities on a regular basis, you may be told that he or she has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. If so, they'd be among about 10 percent of children in the United States.

Kids with ADHD can be restless and difficult to handle. Many of them are treated with drugs, but a new study says food may be the key. Published in The Lancet journal, the study suggests that with a very restrictive diet, kids with ADHD could experience a significant reduction in symptoms.

The study's lead author, Dr. Lidy Pelsser of the ADHD Research Centre in the Netherlands, writes in The Lancet that the disorder is triggered in many cases by external factors — and those can be treated through changes to one's environment.

"ADHD, it's just a couple of symptoms — it's not a disease," the Dutch researcher tells All Things Considered weekend host Guy Raz.

The way we think about — and treat — these behaviors is wrong, Pelsser says. "There is a paradigm shift needed. If a child is diagnosed ADHD, we should say, 'OK, we have got those symptoms, now let's start looking for a cause.' "

Pelsser compares ADHD to eczema. "The skin is affected, but a lot of people get eczema because of a latex allergy or because they are eating a pineapple or strawberries."

According to Pelsser, 64 percent of children diagnosed with ADHD are actually experiencing a hypersensitivity to food. Researchers determined that by starting kids on a very elaborate diet, then restricting it over a few weeks' time.

"It's only five weeks," Pelsser says. "If it is the diet, then we start to find out which foods are causing the problems."

Teachers and doctors who worked with children in the study reported marked changes in behavior. "In fact, they were flabbergasted," Pelsser says.

"After the diet, they were just normal children with normal behavior," she says. No longer were they easily distracted or forgetful, and the temper tantrums subsided.

Some teachers said they never thought it would work, Pelsser says. "It was so strange," she says, "that a diet would change the behavior of a child as thoroughly as they saw it. It was a miracle, a teacher said."

But diet is not the solution for all children with ADHD, Pelsser cautions.

"In all children, we should start with diet research," she says. If a child's behavior doesn't change, then drugs may still be necessary. "But now we are giving them all drugs, and I think that's a huge mistake," she says.

Also, Pelsser warns, altering your child's diet without a doctor's supervision is inadvisable.

"We have got good news — that food is the main cause of ADHD," she says. "We've got bad news — that we have to train physicians to monitor this procedure because it cannot be done by a physician who is not trained."

sparkles optional

Recently, Rachel insisted that we really need to jazz up our Sundays.  Considering the fact her dad and I think this is a great day for a nap, she just might be right.  So this past Sunday, she declared a craft day, complete with pajamas (for Rachel, anyway!)

"Craft" doesn't sit well with a 12-year-old boy, but drawing does.  He's really getting quite good at dragons.

I am not at all artistic, but it was still good for me to slow down, look at detail, and make an attempt.  The 1, 2, 3 Paint book we checked out from the library helped with some inspiration, too.  What I painted did not turn out that great, but the kids were impressed.  Maybe they'll try some new things as well!  I noted that if we're going to take this seriously we need some real paints and better paper, but watercolors are still fun.

Time to get out the glitter and beads, too!

Next up: Nature Day.  Boy, I can't wait for that one!!  Please come, spring!

all I have to do is blink...

I have been very successfully enjoying denial regarding having a junior high student this year.  It's now over.

Wait a minute here.  Katy, you beat him to it, and you're not in Jr. High yet.  Back to my happy denial!!  When he starts shaving though, I'm done for.

 

 

*Ahem....if you've gotten this far and still don't know what I'm talking about, look at his mouth.

GF granola bars

Today I received my first ever shipment of gluten free rolled oats.  It's been months since Rachel has had a granola bar, and our favorite recipe has peanut butter which Micah most certainly will not eat.  So I searched the web and found this recipe, and adapted it to our GF needs.  While I would have preferred to add chocolate chips, we were out, so golden raisins took their place.  Delicious!!!

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups GF rolled oats

1 cup all purpose GF flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp GF vanilla

1 cup butter or margarine, softened*

1 cup honey

Add-ins: 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1-2 c. dried fruit such as raisins, cherries, etc.  

Lightly butter a 9×13-inch pan.  In a large mixing bowl combine butter and honey first.  Then add all ingredients except add-ins.  Beat hard until combined.  Stir in add-ins.  Press mixture into pan — really jam it in there so your bars don’t fall apart.  (You can use your hands!)  Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.  Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into bars.  Let bars cool completely in pan before removing and serving.

these are the moments to hold on to...

Josiah, kissing me before naptime, just had to add with a heart full of love, "Mommy, I want to marry you."

He seemed to take it well that I'm already spoken for.